Improvement in grain-binders



lfran STATES sYLvANUs D. LocKE, or JANEsv/ILLE, Wisconsin.

`.IIMPR'V'EMBNT IN GRAIN-BINDERS.

Specification forming part cf Letters `Patent No. 60,208, dated December `et,

4 To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, SYLvANUs D. LocKE, of the city of Janesville, county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Constructing and` Operatl ing a Machine for BindingGrain; and` I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making a part of this specification, like characters re-` ferring to like parts in each figure.

The nature of my invention consists in anew combination of various devices, as hereinafter set forth and described. s

To enable others skilled in the `mechanic arts to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation by referring to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view, representing various parts as they are related to each other. Fig. 2 is a section, showing a part of the bindinghead,`Fig. 6, from the back or inside `of the same, representing generallythe manner of communicating power to the wire-twisting apparatus, as hereinafter more fully described and set forth. Fig. 3 is an enlarged drawing of the outer end of the binding-arm A, Fig. 1,

showing the stationary arms c b,the pulley or sheave m, and the spring-dog a. This dog is held to its proper position against the pin e, While closing with the binding-head on the outer end of the binding-arm B, Fig. 1, by the spring f, the dog coming in contact with the arm a of the star-pinion J, Figs. 1,4, and 6, carrying it andthe end of the bindingfwire, heretofore looped aroundit, down the` sloto. By the operation described, the starpinion is made to revolve so as to bring another arm above the binding-wire, thus aiding to secure the cut end of the Wire, after the bundle is bound, by preventing it from being withdrawn from the upper mouth of the slot oas the binding-arms open. When the binding-arms A B are disengaged and the spring-dog a, comes in contact withthe under side of the arm of the star-pinion, the sprin g f permits the dog to revolve on the axis a and pass over the obstruction, the star-pinion being kept in position by the pawl m, Fig. 4, taking bearing on theperiphery of the fixed ratchet Fig. 5.

. Fig. 4 shows the back side of the star-pinion J removed and separated from the ixed ratchet t', Fig. 5, so as to fully representthe pawl m and the pawl-spriug b. The pawl fm works on the periphery of the ratchet t', Fig. 5, so that when the bindingarms A B are brought together and the spring-,dog a, Figs. `1 and 3, comes in contact with one of the arms ot' the 1 star-pinion, carrying it down, it secures the star-pinion in its proper position and prevents itsrevolvingbackward. The pawl, instead of the ratchet, may be fixed, and the ,ratchet make a part of orbeattached to the star,- pinion, instead of as above described. Fig. 6 is an end view of .the `binding-head, attached to the outer end of the armB, Fig. 1, having parts broken away so as to properly repref sent the connection of thevarious parts with each other. Fig. 7 gives the general form of the knife used for cutting the wire after a bundle has been bound.V

In Fig. 1, DD are pitmen or motive-arms,

operating independen tlyof each other,.D giving motion to the curvilinear binding-arms A B, secured respectively to the shafts F and` E, joined to and operating upon each `other through the segmental gears g. D' gives mo.

`tion to the arm G,- which operates the wirctwisting apparatus, as hereinafter described,

the motive-arms or` pitmen D D themselves receiving power from moving cams B', Fig. 1, attached to the shaft A', on which shaft is placed the disengaging-coupling C', kept in place by the shaft-springF, connecting it with the pulley X', around which passes the motivebelt F, moved by the driving-pulley `Yat` tached to the driving or supplementary shaft operating the cutting-knives of a harvestingmachine. Figs. 1, 2,`and 6 show a frictionwheel attached to the rack H, on which the` arm C at the proper time presses, carryingit down, thereby giving motion to the pinion O,

which, being attached to the gear L and their it is passed around an arm, n, of the `Starpinion J, and then introduced into and through the slot o into the opening or mortise O, where it is secured by twisting a knot on the end of the wire. This knot will now perpetuate itself as the machine is worked. The stationary arm e and the arm b, Figs, 1 and 3, are used to carry down the wire into and keep it secure in the jaws of the binding-head, the former passing down just back of thejaws, and the latter passing into the mortise 0. This object is more fully secured through'the co-operation of the star-pinion J, one arm, n, of which is carried down by the wire and spring-dog et, Figs. 1 and 3, while another arm of the same is brought into position above it, and kept in place by the pawl m, Fig. 4, taking hold of the ratchet j, thus rendering it impossible for the wire to escape from the binding-head in any contingency. The dog a, Figs. 1 and 3, is kept in position against the pin e by means of the' springf, which readily allows it to pass back over the arms of the star-pinion J, as during the working of the machine the binding-arms A B are carried back to the position shown in the drawings. After the proper twisting of the wire around the sheaf, as before described, (in which process the spring d was coiled around the shaft R,) we find the segmental projection P on the gear L, Fig. 6, through its revolution, has been brought in contact with the cutting-knife M, Figs. 6 and 7, carrying it forward so far as to sever the wire midway ofthe twist, so as to leave a twisted knot on the cut or free end of the wirein addition to the twist of the wire on the'bundle. When the pressure of the arm C is removed from the friction-wheel K, Figs, 1, 2, and 6, the scrollspring d, Fig. 6, causes the several parts described as belonging to the binding-head to return to the position shown in the drawings;

. the pin h, Fig. 6, coming in contact with the reciprocating-knife M, returns it to the positionas shown. After the Wire is severed and the binding-arms LA B commence opening, the cut or free end of the wire above mentioned .lies in the mortise 0, and is prevented from being withdrawn from the slot o and thus escaping by the twisted knot aforesaid and by an arm of the star-pinion which was brought down above the wire as it entered the slot, as above described. As the binding-armsvcontinue to open, the wire is carried over and looped around the arm last above mentioned of the star-pinion, and thence laid horizontally across or under the binding-table, whilethe cut or free end with the twisted knot is still retainedl in the mortise O. If the operation of binding be repeated and the couplings be engaged, as before, by pressing the-end J of the lever I downward, the wirev will be passed around the bundle and inserted again in the twisting-pinion as also in the slot o. As the wire is inserted in an d passes down the slot o it meets the arm of the star-pinion around which passes the looped end of the wire aforei mentioned, and with .the aid of the spring-dog a drives it down over the face of the slot, taking with it the loop and twisted knot and turn ing the star-pinion sufficiently to bring` down.

another arm, around which, after bein gtwisted and a knot formed, the wire is looped, as before. It will be seen that the ofce of the springldog a is to aid the wire in voperating the star-pinion. Properly constructed, the starpinion can be operated by the wire alone; but to give certainty and uniformity to its movement, I prefer to use the spring-dog. It will also be seen that the oflice of the star-pinion is peculiar and important. After the wire is looped around the rst arm ot' the star-pinion and then passed around the bundle and again Vinserted in the slot o', driving down the irst arm and bringing the second arm above the wire, as above described, the end of the wire is not released, but the rst arm, though somewhat withdrawn, is still retained in the loop, thus holding the end of the wire until the bundle is bound and theptwisted knot and loop are again formed. Indeed, to insure the holding of the wire, the first arm is not entirely withdrawn from the loop until the wire is for the third time inserted in the slot o', driving down the second arm and bringing above it, as before described, the third arm. Were the arm as it is being driven down' the slot to be withdrawnfrom the loop, the end of the wire would escape orbe drawn with the twistedknot against the cutting-face of the twisting-pinion, in either event preventing the continuous workin g of the machine'. The arms of the star-pinion are made tapering and hooked, so as to admit of their being easily withdrawn from the loop by being driven downward, as above described. It will be seen that the scroll-spring d may be dispensed with by attaching or connecting the outer or workin g end ofthe vibrat-ing or reciprocating arm G to the reciprocating-rack H, and so driving the rack in both directions by the arm. The intermediate gear-wheels O and L may also be dispensed with by running the rack in direct connection with the twisting or tying device. In case other twisting devices, or a tying device, be used, one or both of these last arrangements might be desirable. But,

whenusing the slotted twisting-pinion, I prefer to employ the scroll-spring, as also the intermediate gear-wheels, as by so doing the rack is shortened and the parts more readily adjusted, so as to uniformly and surely return the slotted pinion, after the bundle is bound, to the desired position with its slot so presented as to again freely receive the wire Vhat I do claim, and for which I desire Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. The combination of a revolving twisting or tying device and a reciprocating toothed rack with a vibrating driving arm, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a reciprocating toothedv rack and a vibrating driving-arm, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a revolving twisting or tying device with a scroll-spring in such av manner that the former is returned to its original position by the latter7 substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a reciprocating S. D. LOCKE.

Witnesses:

G. H. WILwLIsrroN,` C. E. CHURCH. 

